This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus.
In an image forming apparatus, which is typified by a digital multifunction peripheral and the like, an image of an original document is read by an image reading unit, and then, a photoreceptor included in an image forming unit is irradiated with light, on the basis of the read image, to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor. Thereafter, a developer, such as a charged toner and the like, is fed onto the formed electrostatic latent image to form a visible image, the image is transferred and fixed onto a sheet of paper, and then, the paper is discharged to the outside of the apparatus.
There has been a known technology in which, for a printed material that was output after an image was formed on a sheet of paper, image data is overwritten thereon again such that characters are indistinguishable, thereby preventing leakage of confidential information.
A typical image input and output system includes an image forming apparatus including an image reading unit, an image output unit, a reading and overwriting unit, a communication unit, a storage unit, and an image forming unit. The image reading unit reads an area in a printed material to generate pre-overwrite image data, which is image data before the read area is overwritten. The image output unit outputs an image for concealment to the read area in which reading has been already performed and overwrites the read area, thereby making the read area into a concealment area. The reading and overwriting unit includes an interface unit that outputs the pre-overwrite image data. The communication unit receives the pre-overwrite image data from the reading and overwriting unit. The storage unit stores the pre-overwrite image data received by the communication unit. The image forming unit forms an image, on the basis of the pre-overwrite image data.
Also, a typical image forming apparatus includes a storage unit, an extraction unit, a determination unit, and a painting-out unit. The storage unit stores a specific character that is a painting-out target in advance. The extraction unit extracts, as a painting-out target character, a character that matches the specific character stored in the storage unit from a print medium on which characters have been already printed. The determination unit determines a painting-out area on the print medium, which includes the painting-out target character extracted by the extraction unit. The painting-out unit paints out the painting-out area determined by the determination unit such that the painting-out target character extracted by the extraction unit is indistinguishable.
Also, a typical image processing apparatus includes an already printed surface specifying unit, a printing unit, and an obfuscation printing unit. The already printed surface specifying unit specifies an already printed surface of a sheet of paper that is supplied. The printing unit performs printing on a printable surface of the sheet of paper, which has been specified by already printed surface specifying unit. The obfuscation printing unit performs printing of a plurality of overwrite patterns on the already printed surface of the sheet of paper, which has been specified by the already printed surface specifying unit.